This Day in Top 40 History: September 28
On Sept. 28, 2019, Lizzo topped the charts for the fourth consecutive week with her international hit, “Truth Hurts.” The song spent 20 weeks on the chart, and Lizzo became…
On Sept. 28, 2019, Lizzo topped the charts for the fourth consecutive week with her international hit, "Truth Hurts." The song spent 20 weeks on the chart, and Lizzo became just the third female rapper to achieve No. 1 with a solo song. The track was nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, taking home the statue for Best Pop Solo Performance. Keep reading for more Top 40 history from Sept. 28.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
The Beatles and Stevie Wonder were icons in their time and have remained staples of pop music.
- 1968: "Hey Jude" by The Beatles hit No. 1 in the U.S. It was the band's longest-running No. 1 single, staying at the top of the charts for nine weeks.
- 1976: Stevie Wonder released Songs in the Key of Life, which was his 18th studio album. It included the enduring song "Isn't She Lovely?"
- 1999: Creed launched their sophomore studio album, Human Clay. The album reached the summit of the Billboard 200 and spawned the chart-topping “With Arms Wide Open.”
- 2010: Bad Religion issued The Dissent of Man, which featured “The Day That the Earth Stalled,” “Wrong Way Kids,” and “Turn Your Back on Me.” It reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on the Top Rock Albums Chart.
- 2018: Lil Wayne released Tha Carter V, a 23-track album featuring contributions from Ashanti, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and other Top 40 artists. The record dominated the Billboard 200 for a week.
- 2018: Cher's 26th studio LP, Dancing Queen, was released, featuring “SOS,” “Fernando,” and “GIMME! GIMME! GIMME! (A Man After Midnight).” This album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Cultural Milestones
These cultural milestones show how popular music often influences other aspects of mainstream media:
- 1901: Ed Sullivan was born in Harlem, New York. He hosted The Ed Sullivan Show, a program that helped shape the careers of many Top 40 acts, including The Jacksons, The Supremes, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Elvis Presley.
- 1987: Hilary Duff was born in Texas. The pop star saw success as an actress before releasing her debut album, Metamorphosis, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
- 1991: Garth Brooks' album Ropin' the Wind became the first country album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It marked the start of country crossover hits experiencing success in the mainstream market.
- 2012: Pitch Perfect, a musical comedy about a college a cappella group, premiered in theaters. Not only did it contribute to an a cappella phenomenon, but it also included several pop songs in the musical soundtrack.
- 2002: Over 70,000 music fans voted “Vogue” hitmaker Madonna as the “greatest female singer of all time” in a VH1 poll. The seven-time GRAMMY winner beat Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush, and Diana Ross to secure the top position on that list.
- 2004: The Los Angeles Times published “Something Bad Has Begun,” an editorial written by Yusuf Islam, who previously went by “Cat Stevens.” The piece saw the “Morning Has Broken” singer give a first-person account of his detention by FBI agents.
Notable Recordings and Performances
These live concerts show how even though the industry always changes, fans still want to see their favorite artists live:
- 1972: After the success of Bowie's tour, where he performed under the moniker "Ziggy Stardust," the emerging artist sold out a show at Carnegie Hall. Bowie eventually had 28 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
- 2001: At Montreal's Molson Centre, now known as the Bell Centre, “It's All Coming Back to Me Now” singer Celine Dion took the stage during an American Red Cross concert that benefited the victims of 9/11. This event featured other artists, including Peter Gabriel.
- 2019: Ariana Grande performed in Hamburg, Germany, while on the Sweetener World Tour.
- 2022: Carly Rae Jepsen performed “Call Me Maybe,” “I Really Like You,” and other tracks at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. She was on The So Nice Tour, which supported her Top 20 album, The Loneliest Time.
- 2024: Olivia Rodrigo performed the second of two shows in Tokyo, Japan. The shows were part of the GUTS World Tour.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The music industry is dynamic and fast-paced.
- 1963: The Doors frontman Jim Morrison was arrested in Tallahassee, Florida, on charges of public drunkenness, disturbing the peace, and resisting arrest. In the years that followed, Morrison had more run-ins with the law for offenses such as indecency, inciting a riot, and public profanity.
- 1991: Miles Davis passed away at the age of 65. The jazz genre lost a pioneer and visionary, and Davis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 2019: José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, better known as José José, died at 71 following a battle with cancer. In addition to earning six GRAMMY Award nominations, he placed four No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs Chart, including “Como Tú,” which spent 10 weeks at the top.
- 2021: Taylor Swift began selling limited-edition autographed CDs of Fearless (Taylor's Version). Swift has continued to sell multiple variations of her re-recorded work, giving fans lots of opportunities to snag rare merchandise.
- 2022: Coolio, best known for the GRAMMY-winning chart-topper “Gangsta's Paradise,” passed away in Los Angeles, California. According to sources, the 59-year-old died due to complications arising from taking several drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
- 2024: 88-year-old Kris Kristofferson died at his Maui home in Hawaii. One of Kristofferson's most notable hits was “Why Me,” which stalled at No. 16 on the Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart. He appeared in multiple films, too, including the 1976 romantic drama A Star Is Born.
Did you snag a copy of Fearless (Taylor's Version)? Sept. 28 was one for the history books.
Dawn Palmer-QuaifeWriter
